Annunciator



G. H. MILLER.

ANNUNCIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I9, I919.

1,329,920. Patentd Feb. 3,1920. 4

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

.5/ 'eozye hf ,Millen w, his lug/Ws .G. H. MILLER.

. ANNUNCIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I9, I9I9.

I Patented Feb. 3,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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$1, his mxodfsmk G. H. MILLER.

ANNUNCIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I9. |919. 9 Patented Feb. 3,1920. 1,329 ssHEETs-suasra.

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Y of which the following is a specificatiom GEORGE H. MILLER, E BROOKLYN, NEW promt.l

K ANNUNCIATOR.

Application med March 19, 1919. serial No. 283,593;

To all 'whom t may concern: l

Be 1t knownthat I, GEORGE H. MILLER, a

citizen of the United States, and residing at- Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain 'new and useful Improvements in Annunciators,

such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. A

This invention relates to annunciating apparatus designed to be Vused inconnection `with street cars, elevated and subway cars,

` and cars of electric and steam railway systems as well as other power driven passenger vehicles, and which is designed to indicate by signs or other means the various stops or stations that the car or-train makes in its route, or in traveling from one place to another; and the object of the invention is to provide an Vapparatus of the class land for the purpose specified which is pneumatically operated and which isl provided with means or devices for controlling the operation of the apparatus; a further object of the invention being to provide means whereby said apparatus may be operated by the usual air compressor or com-V pressed air apparatus employedin connection with cars or trains of the class specified; and a still further object 'of the in- Y, vention being t0 provide ani apparatus of the class and for the purpose specied which is simple in construction and operation and efficient in use. K I

The invention is fully' disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by'suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic transverse sectional view of the top portion of a railway car and indicating the method of mounting my improved apparatus in connection therewith y Fig. 2 a diagrammatic apparatus detached and indicating the method of its use; 1 Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of a partv of the apparatus shown in Fig'. 2. the section. being on. the line 3&3 of said figure;

Specification of Letters Patent.v V

sidey view of the Patente-d Feb. 3, 1920.

l Figflt a partial sectiony on the line ofF1g`L3;`

Fig. 5` aview similar to Fig. 4 but showan enlarged scale Fig. 6 a partial section on the line 6-6 o'f'Flg. 4 and on anienlargedscale;

ing only a detail of the contruction andy on ing-a part of the car in connection with which tne apparatus is mounted;

Fig. 8 a View ysimilarto Fig. 7 butshowtion;

Fi 9 Fig.

Fifr. 10 a section on the line 1010 of Figz; and v F1g.'11 a partial sectiony on the line 11'-11 of F i0. 2 and on an enlarged scale.

a section on the line L9-#9 of ing other details of vthe construction in sec- In Figs. 1,?, and 8 of the drawing I have indicated at'11 a part of the car of a railway system'.

In Fig. `1 I have shown at 12 a part of the side walls of said car, a top' 13, a supplemental top 14 and any interior frame or supporting structure 15, and at 16 I have shown the annunciator casing in which is mounted the members for announcing orV designating the names of the streets, stations'or stops tol be made bythe car 11, and at 17AI have indicated a keyboard or a governor box provided with devices adapted to control the movement of the announcing or designating members in the casing 16. i

The casing 16 is approximately rectangular in lform and opens upwardly and'downwardly, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4,

and secured to the side walls 18 are angle iron strips 19 connected at their opposite ends with fiat strips 20 secured to the opposite ends of the casing, and the corner por-V Each: of. the4 angle ironV strips 19,- ofthe'lr n 60 y Fig. 7 a partial section on the line 7-7 7 of Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale and indicattop horizontal portions thereof is provided at spaced intervals with upwardly directed screws or threadedppins 24 with which'are detachably connected transverse plates 25,

six of which are shown in Fig. 3, and one of which is shown .in Figs. 4 and 5, and in the construction shown the angle iron strips 19 are adapted to support ten of the plates `25.

The plates 25 are each constructed in the same manner and are provided centrallyl thereof with a raised portion 26 to which is secured a cylinder 27 packed as shown at p28..` Mounted in the cylinder 27 is a piston y 29 and a piston rod 30, the rod 30 passes throu h the lower rend of the cylinder 27 l and t rough a bore 31 in the plate 25.` vThe upper end of the cylinder 27 is closed by a cap 32 withvwhich is connected a pipe'33,

.y while a similar pipe 34 vis connected at one I also employ'a plurality of card support-v ingV casings 36, the. number of which will correspond with the number `of plates 25 employedandsaid casings are adapted to detachably support printed or otherwise designated cards 37 which are passed intoV said casing through an open` end 38 therein.

The top central portion of said casings arey connected with the lower end portions of they kpiston rods 31through a bridge construction 39, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5,

and at theftop of each of the casings and adjacent to the opposite end portions thereof are secured vertical guide rods 40 which Y extend upwardly through the plates 25, as Vclearly shown in Figs.f3 and 4, and tensional devices 4l are connected with the plates 25 and operate in conne'tion with said rods and serve to aidv in holding the casings 36 in their raised or normal position. i

The above., description sets out lthe de-` tails of construction of the casing 16 and the various parts connected therewith, and in Figs. 2 and 7 to 10 inclusive, I have `shown the detail construction of the" keyboard or governor box 17, said box 'comprlsing an approximately oblong and rec-l tangular case 42, which opens inwardly and which is connected with'a back plate. 43 inv -any desired manner. The back plate 43 is provided with a plurality of forwardly directed sleeve members 44, ten of which are y employed in the construction shown andv which are arranged in series of-fives, one

-. above another, as shownin Fig. 2. Each ofthe sleeve members 44v are provided with4 two intake pipes 45 and 46, and two discharge pipes 47 and 48, the intake pipes 45 and' 46 being connected with a main horil.zontal distributer pipe49 through vertical' branch .pipes 50. `An air vsupply v51 is con- .employed for rotating s aid valves.

nectedvwith the distributer pipe 49 approxi-` Y y mately, centrally thereof, and said Vpipe is also' connected with any sort of supply,

namely, an air compressor 'or a compressed air tank usually employed in vehicles of thel class to which this invention relates, said apparatus being not shownv for the reason that it forms no part of this invention.

The dischargepipes 47 and 48 from each off the sleeve members 44 extend upwardly and are connected with'the pipes 33 and 34V respectively, or in any desired manner, or the pipes 33 and 34 may be the same vas the Y pipes 47 and 48 but may be continuous.

The front of the casing 42 is provided witha plurality of apertures 52 which cor- 1 respond 1n number and which are 1n line with the bores of the sleevemembers 44, and

ed in the cylinders 44 are valve members 53 retained in, butrotatably mounted in the sleeve members 44 by a pin and slot construction shown at 54 in Fig. 7 of the drawing. The protruding faces of the valves 53 are provided with key slots or openings155, whereby a suitable key may be valves 53 are each provided'with two trans'- verse bores 56 and 57 as well as two radial bores 58 and 59, and the latter communicate with thel transverse` bores l centrally thereof,

as clearly illustrated in Figs. `9 and 1 0 of Y the drawing. .The sleeve members 44 are also ,provided with Vtwo .discharge aper-v tures 60 and 61 arranged at the opposite sides thereof and in vertical alinement with the discharge pipes and intake pipes 45 and 47, 46 and 48 respectively. y o' In the normal position of the lvalves 53 in which position the casings 36 are held in their raised position or within the casing. 16, the bores 56 and 58 are in thelposition shown vatthe top of Fig. 9, in whih position of the valves the air through :the intake pipes 45 is 'shut olf and said Vbores form a communication between the discharge pipes 47 and the discharge apertures 6() vin the sleeve members 44. In this positionrof the valves, the bores 57 and 59 are in the position shown at the top of Fig. 10 and-in this position -v passed through the vapertures 52 and mount-i The roo

the'intake and discharge pipes 46 and 48 are placed in communication by the transverse bores .57, to permit air to pass through the valves 53 upwardly into the bottoni portions of the cylinders 27 and serve to hold the` pistons 29 in; their raised positions as shown in full lines in Fig. 5 of the drawing.

When the valves 53 areturned into their` operative position by a suitable key, as is indicated in theflow'er lefthand corner of Fig. ,.2 ofthe drawing, andas is shown at the bottom of Figs. 7 to 1j0 inclusive, the bores 56 and 58 are moved into the position shown at the bottom of Fig. 9 in which posit-ion the bore 56 y'places theV intake. and disA and 4, it being understood that the particu- Y lar valve 53 operated will operate the casing 36 connected with the cylinder 27 placed in l communication with said valve through the pipes 47 and 48 of said valve.

For thepurpose of utilizing a particular apparatus of the class specified for various purposes, or for 'carsthe routes of which vary from day to day, or at different times,

the valves 53y are consecutively numbered and, in the construction shown, said valves are numbered from 1 to 10, and a suitable index or keyboard 62 shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing is located adjacent to the boX 17, or in connection therewith. The index or keyboard -62 is divided, in any desired manner, into a plurality of spaces 63 which correspond in number to the number Lof valves 53 employed,-and these spaces are consecutively numbered as shown at 64 to correspond with the numbering 'of the valves 53, and the streets, stations and stops on a particular route are-arranged in the spaces 63 of the indeX or keyboard 62, as shown at 65, and the cards 37 with the street, station or stop titles thereon are correspondingly arranged in the easings 36 so that, for example,-when Vall St. is the next stop of the train or car in connection with which my apparatus is employed, the operator will insert a key in the valve 53 numbered 6, said operator receiving directions from the index or keyboard 62 and the corresponding casing 36 will be lowered by compressed air in the manner above set out. .v

The operation of returning the casing 36 moved downwardly by the rotation of the valve numbered 6, as above set out, will be performed by returning the valve to its normal position by the key employed, in which voperation air will :pass upwardly through the discharge pipe 48 and into the ybottom of the cylinder 27 through the pipe 34, while the air in the top of said cylinder and the pipes 33 and 47 will be discharged downwardly and outwardly through the discharge aperture 60 in the sleeve member 44.

A valve 66 is mounted ina downwardly directed extension 67 of the case 42 or in a sleeve member 68 similar to the sleeve members 44, said valve being similar in construc- Fi'gfll, and-is adapted to control the sup- Vten valves 53 and a corresponding number of casings 37, my invention is not limited to any specific number of said valves or said casings, ten 'of these being merely shown to illustrate the apparatus and the method of its operation; and further it will be understood that while I have-shown various details of construction for carrying my invention into effect, I am not necessarily limited to thesedetails, and changes therein and modifications thereof may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spiritv of my invention or sacrificing vits advantages.

Having fully described my invention,`what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

Y 1. In an apparatus of theclass described, `a casing, a plurality ofc-independent designating members movably mounted in said casing, and means for pneumatically ating each of said members.

2. In an apparatus of theclass described, a casing, a plurality/'of independent designating members movablyv mounted in said casing and normally retained ,therein` valve devices placed in communication with each of saidv members, and means whereby the operation of one of said devices will pneumatically operateone ofsaid members to project it fromy said casing.

3. An annunciator apparatus ger cars, comprising a casing mounted in said car, a plurality of designating members movably mounted in said' casing and nor mally retained therein, a plurality of valve devices mounted inthe car at a predeter-v mined distance from said casing and each of which are placed in communication with one of said members', and means whereby the operation of one of said valve devices will operate the member in communication therewith to rproject the same from said casing.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a casing, a plurality of cylinders mounted in said casing, a corresponding number of designating members mounted in said vcasing and in operative connection with said eylinders,'andmeans for passing compressed' air into and out of each of said cylinders to operate said members. 5,. In' an apparatus, of the class described,

operp for passeniio a casing,'a plurality ofcylinders mounted in `said casing, a corresponding number of' designating members movably mounted in said casingl and in operative connectionv with said c'y'lii'iders', a vplurality of valve devices placedY in' lcoxfir'ir'nu'nica'.tion. with said Cylinders, and means Viiv'here'by the operation of fisio said valve devices will move said` members in said casings.

'Y 6. In an apparatus of the class described, a casing, a plurality of cylinders detachably mounted in said casing, a corresponding number of designating members movably mounted in said casing, pistons connected With each of said members and adapted to operate in said cylinders, a plurality of valve devices, pipes for placing said valve devices in connection with said cylinders, meansV for supplying compressed an' to saidl valveV devices, and means whereby the operation of Said valve. vdevices Will admit air to said cylinders to move the pistons therein and to correspondingly operate the members With which said pistons are connected.l

7, In an apparatus of the class described,

a casing, a plurality of cylinders detachably' cylinders to/movethe pistons therein andv to correspondingly operate the members with which said pistons are connected, and meansV whereby sign elementsmay bedetachably connectedwith said members.

8. lIn an apparatus of the class described,

a casing, a plurality of cylinders mounted in said casing, a corresponding number of designating members movably mounted in said casing, pistons connected with eachcf said members vand adapted to operate in said cylinders, means for guiding said membersk in their movement insaid` casing, means for holding said members normally Within the casing, a plurality of valve devicesrthe ynumber of which correspond with vthe number of cylinders in said casing, pipes communicating with each of said valve devices andwith each of said cylinders. means for supplying compressed air to said valve devices, and means whereby the operation of said valves Will supply compressed air to said cylinders through said pipes to operate the pistons in said `cylinders and project said members beyondsaid casing.

- 9. In an apparatusof the class described, a casing, a plurality of cylinders mounted in said casing, a corresponding number of designating members movably mounted in said casing, pistons connected With each of said members and adapted to Voperate in said cylinders, means for guiding said members in their movement in said casing, means for holding said members normally Within the casing, a plurality of valve devices the number of `Which correspondl with the num-l ber of cylinders in saidcasing, pipes` communicating with'eah of said valve devices and with each ofrsaid cylinders, means, whereby the operation of said valves Will supply' compressed Yair-` to said cylinders through said pipes tooperate'the pistons ink said A cylinders andy project saidV members beyond said casing, and means `for controllingV the supply of compressed air to said valve devices. Y l

10. In an apparatus of the class described, a casing, a plurality oficylinders mounted in said casing, a corresponding number of designating members movably mounted in said casing, pistons connected With each of said members and adapted to operate insaid cylinders, means for guiding said members in their' movement in said casing, means for Y holding said members normally Within the casing, a plurality ofvalvedevices the number of which correspond with the number of cylinders insaid casing, intake ipes communicating With each of said Vva ve devices, discharge pipes communicating With said valve devices, said discharge pipes being also placed in vcommunication With said cylinders, means for supplying compressed air to the intake pipes of said valvedevices, means for controlling said supply of air, and means whereby the operation `of said valve devices Will admit air to said cylin#l derstomove the pistons therein `and to opcrate said members.

1].. In an apparatus oi the class described, a casing, a plurality of cylinders mounted in said casing, a corresponding number of designatingmembers movably mounted inv said casing, pistons connected-,With each of said mcm'bers and adapted to operate in said cylinders, means for guiding said members intheir movement in said casing, means for holding said members normally Within the casing, a plurality of valve devices the number of Whichcorrespond With the number` of'cylinders in said casing, intake pipes communicating With said valve devices, discharge pipescommunicating With said valve devices, said discharge pipes being also: placed in communicating with said cylinrders, means for supplying compressed air the other. c F

12. In an apparatus of the class described, a casing, a plurality of cylinders mounted in said casing, a corresponding number of designating members movably mounted in said casing, pistons connected with each of said members and adapted to operate in saidV cylinders, means for .guiding said members in their movement -in said casing,rmeans for holding` said members normally within the casing, a plurality of valve devices the number-of -which correspond with the number of cylinders in said casing, intake pipes communicating with eachof said valve devices, discharge .pipes communicating with said valve devices, said discharge pipes being also placed in communication with said cylinders, means for supplying compressed air to the vintake pipes of said valve devices,`

means for controlling said supply of air, means whereby the operation of said valve devices will admit air to said cylinders to move the pistons therein and to operate said members, means for Vdesignating each of said valve devices to distinguish one from* the other, and means whereby sign elements may be detachably connected with each of said members.

13V.A In an apparatus ofl the class described,

. an annunciator casing open atv the'top and bottom, a plurality of plates detachably mounted in the top portion of said` casing, cylinders connected with each of said plates, pistons movably mounted in saidy cylinders,

card casings mounted in the bottom portion of said casing and in operativeV connection with said pistons, said casings beingV normally contained within the casing, andV means for supplying compressed air to said 4cylinders to operate said pistons to move said card casings outwardly and inwardly in said casing.

14C. In an apparatus of the class described,

`for supplying compressed air to said cylinders to operate said pistons to move said card casings outwardly and inwardly in said casing, means for guiding saidcard casings in their movement inl said casing, and tensional devices for holding said card casings normally in a raised position.

15. In an apparatus ot the class described, Y an annunciator casing open at the top and*` bottom, a plurality of plates detachably mounted in the top portion of said casing, cylinders connected with each of said plates,

' pistons movably mounted in said cylinders,

card casings mounted in thebottom portion of said casing and in operative connection with said pistons, said casingsbeing normally contained within the casing, means` for supplying compressed air to saidcylinders to operate -said pistons to move'iSaid card casings outwardly and inwardly in said casing, means for guiding said vcardl .casings in their movement in said casing,

a keyboard or governor boX, a plurality of p valve ldevices rotatably mounted therein, Y

each of said valve devices being provided with a pair of bores and a pair of intake and discharge pipes communicating with each of said valve devices.

17. In an apparatus of the class described, a keyboard or governor boX, a plurality of valve devices rotatably mounted therein, each of said valve devices being provided with a pair of bores and a p air of intake and discharge pipes communicating with each of said valve devices, and means whereby said valve devices may be rotated to bring the pair of bores therein in communication with said pairs of intake and discharge pipes. y v

18. In an apparatus of the class described, a'keyboard or governor box, a plurality of .valve devices rotatably mounted therein, each of said valve devices being provided with a pair of bores and a pair ofintake and discharge pipes communicating with eachv of said valve devices, means whereby said valve devices may be rotated to bring the pair of bores thereinv in communication with said pairs of-intake and discharge pipes, a disltributer pipe placed in communication with each pair of said intake pipes, and means "for supplying` compressed air to said dis- 'tributer pipe.

ioo

`19. 'In an apparatus of the class described, f

akeyboard or governor boX, a plurality of valve devices rotatably mounted therein,

each of said valve devices being provided with a pair of bores and a pair ot intake and discharge pipes Vcommunicating' with each of said'valve devices, means whereby 'saidi valve devices may be rotated to bring the -pair of bores therein in communication with said pairs oi intake and dischargepipes, a distributer pipe placed in communication with cach pair of said intake pipes, means `forsupplying compressed air to said distributer pipe, and means for controlling the supply of compressed air to said distributer pipe. s

x 20. In an apparatus of the class described, a keyboard or governor boX, a plurality of with a pair of bores and a pair of intake and of said valvev devices, means wherebyY said valve devices may be rotated to bring the pair of bores therein in communication with said pairs of intake and discharge pipes, a

valve devices rotatably mountedv therein,

leach of said valve devices being provided discharge pipes communicating vwith each Y -distributer pipe placed in communication i witheach pair of said intake pipes, means l for' 'supplying compressed lair to Said( dismy invention I have Asi 'ed my' naine inV v4tributer pipe, means for controlling the suppresence of the subscribing Witnesses this ply of compressed air to said distributer 15th day of March, 1919. l Y pipe, and means for marking each of said v GEORGE H. AMILLER f 5 Valve devices for distinguishing one from Witnessesz another. Y v Y C. E. MULRANY, YIntestilnony that I claim the foregoing as Y H.y E. THOMPSON. 

